[nagdu] Middle-aged Ben

Cindy Ray cindyray at gmail.com
Sat Sep 24 13:31:14 UTC 2011 

I am not fond of thinking of five as middle aged because Fisher is five, and the time goes by so quickly. So I'm thinking of him as a younger older dog. LOL.
Cindy

On Sep 24, 2011, at 8:22 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:

> Hi Tami.
> 5 doesn't count as middle-aged in my book.  I know labs and goldens who've
> worked until past 11.  On the other hand, my first dog opted for
> retirement around 7, so one never knows.  Hopefully, Mitzi has only just
> gotten started.  Older dogs are great.  They know what's expected; they
> get almost telepathic with their handler; and they don't get so easily
> distracted.  And then they start slowing down.  Bummer.  But it's great
> while it lasts.
> Echo has certainly adjusted well to being spoiled by my husband.
> Tracy
> 
>> Well, she turned 5 this summer, and I don't believe that one for
>> second. /smile/ Poodles mature later and live longer than other large
>> breed dogs, so if she qualifies as being middle-aged, she sure doesn't
>> let it show. /lol/ When we get to the park during times when there are
>> yearling's and other under threes, I will listen to the activity and
>> observe as it moves around, marveling that my dog is now a grown up! So
>> mellow, theses, so settled, not so bursting with out of control energy.
>> Not so wild an crazy... It will suddenly occur to me that familiar
>> jingle sound accompanied by a flit of black should have been cluing e in
>> to the fact that my mellow old dog, on the verge of decrepitude is not,
>> in fact, lying quietly in the shade while her joints freeze up. She's
>> pretty much the wildest most active creature in the park and perhaps a
>> mile or so in any direction. /lol/ When the pups wear out and leave, she
>> will be throwing the ball to me to kick and throw so she can run after
>> it and around and throw it up and catch it before whizzing back for
>> another round... Until another wave of energetic pups come in for her to
>> run circles around... OMG!
>> 
>> Still, it is sobering for me to think that she has been a career girl
>> for long enough that she is just getting into her prime for the next..
>> what? 4 years? 5? Poodles are new enough on the guide dog scene, I don't
>> think there's a really good barometer yet for planning ahead for rule of
>> thumb retirement age. Still, I'm thinking that I can reasonably plan to
>> start looking more closely for those signs that she is wearying of the
>> job and begin to finalize my plans for her retirement so I am prepared
>> when she's ready to give me her letter of resignation. /smile/ That's
>> going to be just plain weird for me, since it will be my first
>> retirement and replacement. But DD is quite happy to assume that he will
>> have a Mitzi poodle then to spoil and coddle to his heart's content. I
>> have a feeling she will adapt to this without too much difficulty. /lol/
>> Whether I will or not is another question!
>> 
>> Tami
>> 
>> On Fri, 2011-09-23 at 15:04 -0400, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>> Tami, darned if I know how he got to be middle-aged!  But here he is,
>>> going to be 7 in a couple weeks.  Amazing!
>>> I guess Mitzi must be middle-aged, too, though that seems crazy.
>>> Tracy
>>> 
>>>> Tracy,
>>>> 
>>>> Mitzi says to tell Ben the Laveau style with all the extras is *very*
>>>> comfortable! She believes it is as comfortable as the sports style.
>>> She
>>>> likes it! /grin/
>>>> 
>>>> How'd Ben get to be middle aged when I still think of him as a young
>>>> dog? /lol/
>>>> 
>>>> Tami
>>>> 
>>>> On Fri, 2011-09-23 at 13:10 -0400, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>>>> Thanks Buddy.  This is exactly the kind of thing I needed to know.
>>>>> Benny
>>>>> is slowing down a bit, now he's middle-aged, so I do have to be
>>> careful
>>>>> not to overwalk him sometimes.  The Laveau sounds like it might be
>>> what
>>>>> I
>>>>> want.  I like the TSE harness, but I think a Pawpower harness will be
>>>>> handy to have.
>>>>> Thanks for your input.
>>>>> Tracy
>>>>> 
>>>>>> Hey Tracy,
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> You're right: the total freedom of movement in the sport style
>>> harness
>>>>>> handle does require some care, as you can, if not careful, over
>>> walk
>>>>> your
>>>>>> dog. It seems unlikely that the handle would flip up in the way you
>>>>>> indicate, although I suppose that is a possibility, albeit a slim
>>> one.
>>>>>> However, the handle does move far enough that it could literally go
>>> up
>>>>>> over your dog's nose, but the backward pressure as your dog moves
>>> and
>>>>> as
>>>>>> you move would probably preclude this. Though it would be very
>>>>> possible to
>>>>>> over walk if you're not careful. The advantage is that you can make
>>>>>> extremely tight turns.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> It's not on the sight, but order the sport harness, and in the
>>>>> comments,
>>>>>> ask Bob to make you the Laveau style. This is a sport style with
>>>>>> stabilizer loops. I have one for Leno and absolutely love it. The
>>>>> loops
>>>>>> keep the handle at  a natural angle, the handle can't go up over
>>> your
>>>>>> dog's head, but you still feel all the movement through the
>>> shoulders
>>>>> the
>>>>>> way the straps are configured. Truly, I think the Laveau style
>>> gives
>>>>> the
>>>>>> best of both styles. It definitely has a different feel from the
>>>>> standard
>>>>>> American harness as you'd get from school. You really feel, not
>>> only
>>>>> the
>>>>>> pull into the front of the harness, but also the shoulder movement
>>> to
>>>>> some
>>>>>> extent. I quite like it.
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> To tell you the truth, the only real reason I wanted another
>>> harness
>>>>> was
>>>>>> the removable handle. It's the one feature of Seeing Eye's
>>> harnesses
>>>>> that
>>>>>> I wish we had but don't. I don't have any issue with their name on
>>> the
>>>>>> back strap or anything of that nature. So, yes, the harness with
>>> loops
>>>>>> still has a removable handle. Just thread the handle through the
>>>>> loops,
>>>>>> then snap it together. The plastic backpack type fasteners that Bob
>>>>> and
>>>>>> Rox'e use are surprisingly sturdy; I think you'd have to try pretty
>>>>> hard
>>>>>> to damage one. Now having said that, beyond the removable handle, I
>>>>> really
>>>>>> enjoy using my Paw Power harness. It's lightweight, gives great
>>>>> feedback,
>>>>>> and looks sharp. Definitely count me as satisfied. And I got mine
>>> with
>>>>> all
>>>>>> the options: reflective tape and padding, I mean. Bob assures me
>>> the
>>>>>> reflective tape is sewn on, not glued, so it will hold up just fine
>>> in
>>>>> the
>>>>>> laundry.
>>>>>> --
>>>>>> Buddy Brannan, KB5ELV - Erie, PA
>>>>>> Phone: (814) 860-3194 or 888-75-BUDDY
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> 
>>>>>> On Sep 23, 2011, at 10:56 AM, Tracy Carcione wrote:
>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> I'm thinking about getting a Pawpower harness.  It would be nice
>>> to
>>>>> have
>>>>>>> something I can throw in the wash, especially with winter crud
>>> coming
>>>>>>> along.  I'd also like something where I could detach the handle.
>>>>>>> What I'm not sure about is which to get, sport or standard.  I
>>> need
>>>>> to
>>>>>>> be
>>>>>>> able to tell instantly when Ben is stopping for traffic or dodging
>>> a
>>>>>>> pedestrian.
>>>>>>> I'm a little worried that, with the sport, the handle might flip
>>> over
>>>>>>> his
>>>>>>> head.  I'm a little worried that, with the standard, it would be
>>>>> harder
>>>>>>> to
>>>>>>> take the handle off and on because of the stabilizer loops.
>>>>>>> What do those of you with Pawpower harnesses have to say?
>>>>>>> Tracy
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
>>>>>>> 
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>>>>>> 
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>>>>> 
>>>>> 
>>>>> 
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> 
> 
> 
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